The Leaving of Things

Winner of the 2014 International Book Award for Multicultural Fiction2014 Kindle Book Award Winner

Vikram is not your model Indian-American teenager. Growing up in late 1980s Wisconsin, he is rebellious, adrift, and resentful of his Indian roots. But a disastrously drunken weekend becomes a one-way ticket back to the homeland for Vikram after his

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Overview

Winner of the 2014 International Book Award for Multicultural Fiction2014 Kindle Book Award Winner

Vikram is not your model Indian-American teenager. Growing up in late 1980s Wisconsin, he is rebellious, adrift, and resentful of his Indian roots. But a disastrously drunken weekend becomes a one-way ticket back to the homeland for Vikram after his outraged parents decide to pack up the family and return to India.

So begins a profound journey of culture shock, loneliness, and self-discovery as Vikramnavigating the chaos of daily Indian life and the antiquated social rules of his collegefinds the confidence to explore his own creativity, reconnect with his family, and meet unforgettable new friends. Most of all, he discovers that India is his soul…but America is his heart, the land of his destiny, leading to a once-in-a-lifetime test of courage as he sets out to chart a bold new course for his future.

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Meet the Author

Jay Antani is a freelance film critic, writer, and editor. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, son, and cat. The Leaving of Things is his first novel. He encourages readers to visit his website at jayantani.com.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

Loved this book. Very easy writing style. Gave me a hint of what it must be like for children raised in the US and forced to go back to their parents impoverished homeland.

Anonymous

More than 1 year ago

Moksha

More than 1 year ago

This story has a heart. Written in simple, affecting prose - it captures the complications of existing fully in two separate cultures The protagonist learns to love his own land just as he realizes that he must leave it. Fortunately, he's leaving it for a land he had also come to love. How the protagonist reconciles the two is compellingly clarified in this touching story. The question remains at the end of the book - which country will he choose to spend the rest of his life in after completing his education. The answer is tantalizingly left to the reader's imagination. Perhaps a novelistic Rohrshach, if you will. That the reader will care about the protagonist's fate is due to the author's empathetic portrait of him.
The characters are fully realized, affectionately drawn both in the USA and India. The pace of the writing captures the rhythms of both continents.
For anyone feeling suspended between two cultures, or anyone who wants to understand what that is like. this book is highly recommended.